Sinn Féin leader refuses to say if party will abstain on vote to renew Special Criminal Court

Mary Lou McDonald said her party would need to wait until the recently completed review of the court was published before deciding how to vote

Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald: 'What we want is, we want the court reformed and we want a system that is robust and serves society well.' Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has refused to confirm whether or not her party will abstain on a vote to renew the Special Criminal Court later this month.

Ms McDonald said her party would need to wait until the recently completed review of the Special Criminal Court was published before deciding how to vote.

Sinn Féin has not opposed the renewal of the non-jury court for the last two years, with party TDs instead abstaining on the vote. This follows a party decision in October 2021 to back the use of non-jury courts in some circumstances.

“I’d like to see that review published now, we want to see it and of course, we will respond accordingly,” Ms McDonald said.

“I look forward to supporting the measures as set out in that review, but clearly we have to see it first.”

When asked if the Sinn Féin would abstain on the vote again, Ms McDonald said they would “consider that”.

“What we want is, we want the court reformed and we want a system that is robust and serves society well.”

The review is due to be published this month, just days before the vote is due to be held to renew the non-jury court.

Justice Minister Simon Harris confirmed this in late May, telling the Dáil it would take time to “digest” the review.

“I should also say that this report will take time to digest and to decide the course of action. What is clear and does not require any time is the need to renew the resolutions this June,” Mr Harris told the Dáil.

Speaking at a launch event for the party’s new policy on child and youth mental health, Ms McDonald was also asked about the attendance of Sinn Féin MP John Finucane at an IRA commemoration in Armagh.

Asked whether she would attend similar events if she became Taoiseach, Ms McDonald said space needed to be made for everyone to “respectfully remember their dead”.

Ms McDonald said if she became Taoiseach, she would be a “Taoiseach for everybody”.

“I would act in a way to foster respect, reconciliation, and understanding and never in a partisan way, to give offence to anybody."

She added that it should not be a controversy to wear either a poppy or Easter lily.